Business isBeautiful

The hard art of standing apart

We’ve identified five hallmarks of beautiful business and explored stories from an array of companies from all over the world. Today, we continue to talk to businesses with an alternative approach, which you can read more about here.

Stories

We’ve spoken to individuals from an array of companies from all around the world about the inspirational way they run their business.

Arup

Sugru

Rapha

3M

Curzon

Rabobank

vente-privee

Dr. Irena Eris

Narayana Hrudayalaya Hospitals

Autolib’

Icebreaker

Interface

Opower

The Zetter

KTC

Threadless

Oticon

Condé Nast

Story

Pão de Açúcar

EGG-energy

BMWi

Hallmarks

We’ve identified five hallmarks of beautiful business that celebrate the unmeasurable drivers of success.

Integrity

Beautiful businesses have a clear sense of purpose; a noble, unwavering belief that translates into firm principles for how to succeed. This is where a company’s soul resides.

Curiosity

The ideals around which a business is built should not act as a straitjacket; they should act as a springboard for creativity. If necessity is the mother of invention, then curiosity is its father.

Elegance

Elegance in business is not a simple matter of aesthetics. It is a matter of problem-solving. It enables businesses to defy time and extend their influence over centuries.

Craft

We like to see evidence of a human hand in the products we buy and services we experience, a tangible demonstration of care that makes the rest of us care about what a business does.

Prosperity

Profit is imperative in the short-term for survival and in the long-term for innovation and growth. Profit aids bold decision-making. But the decisions we make as business people have implications beyond profit.

The Book

Business is Beautiful was published in 2012 and is available in hardback, paperback and ebook formats.